Hardcover Hooligans

Twilight - Part 1 Oct 12, 2026 1:10:55 Bella is a shy transfer student who meets Edward, a handsome boy with a BIG secret. Twilight By Stephanie Myer Published in 2005 by Little, Brown, and Company Spoilers Twilight Support Us on Patreon! Get access to ad-free episodes, extended episodes, our Discord server, and bonus episodes. https://www.patreon.com/HardcoverHooligans Buy books at Bookshop.org! Support your local booksto

Yesteryear - Part 2 Sep 28, 2026 1:40:26 Being a woman is…hard? Huh??? Yesteryear By Caro Claire Burke Published in 2026 by Knopf Spoilers Yesteryear Content Warning Discussion of sexual assault and domestic violence Support Us on Patreon! Get access to ad-free episodes, extended episodes, our Discord server, and bonus episodes. https://www.patreon.com/HardcoverHooligans Buy books at Bookshop.org! Support your local booksto

Yesteryear - Part 1 Sep 14, 2026 1:15:24 A book about a lady who just likes being on her phone. Yesteryear By Caro Claire Burke Published in 2026 by Knopf Spoilers Yesteryear Content Warning Discussion of sexual assault and domestic violence Support Us on Patreon! Get access to ad-free episodes, extended episodes, our Discord server, and bonus episodes. https://www.patreon.com/HardcoverHooligans Buy books at Bookshop.org! S

Blood of Hercules - Part 1 [PREVIEW] Sep 10, 2026 19:24 This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive episode. To get access to the full bonus episode, extended and ad-free versions of other episodes, plus our private Discord, you can sign up at https://www.patreon.com/HardcoverHooligans -- The year is 2099. Greek gods called Spartans are in charge of the world. A weak and nerdy teenager has to get good at fighting. Plus there’s other stuff. Blo

A Court of Sarah J. Maas Aug 31, 2026 1:39:43 Sarah J. Maas doesn’t want you to think too much about her books. Spoilers Some of A Court of Silver Flames All of A Court Of Wings and Ruin All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses All of A Court of Mist and Fury Some of A Court of Silver Flames Sarah Halverson’s Recommendations https://bookshop.org/lists/sarah-s-recommendations-hardcover-hooligans-podcast Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin

A Court of Wings and Ruin - Part 2 Aug 17, 2026 1:42:19 A court of the most selfish maniac psychopaths ever set to print. A Court of Wings and Ruin By Sarah J. Maas Published in 2017, by Bloomsbury Publishing. Spoilers All of A Court Of Wings and Ruin All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses All of A Court of Mist and Fury Links: Summary of the book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/court-of-wings-and-ruin/summary/ SJM’s lazy fantasy map: https://

A Court of Wings and Ruin - Part 1 Aug 3, 2026 1:32:02 The concept of being anti-Irish in 2017. A Court of Wings and Ruin By Sarah J. Maas Published in 2017, by Bloomsbury Publishing. Spoilers First half of A Court Of Wings and Ruin All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses All of A Court of Mist and Fury Links: Summary of the book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/court-of-wings-and-ruin/summary/ Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, pleas

Iron Flame - Part 5 Jul 20, 2026 1:34:15 Oh my god we’re finally done Iron Flame By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books Spoilers All of Iron Flame All of Fourth Wing Links: Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Flame Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com. And don’t forget

Battle Royale (with Steph Callaghan) Jul 6, 2026 1:35:44 The only literary classic that features 15-year-olds killing each other with machine guns. And thanks to Steph for recommending the book and being on the show! Content warnings: This is a book where teenagers kill each other in increasingly gory and violent ways, so we chat about everything that entails (but we don’t really stay too long on it). Also some mentions of sexual assault and

Iron Flame - Part 4 Jun 22, 2026 1:58:21 Holy god we can’t believe we’re still reading this Iron Flame By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books Spoilers Almost all of Iron Flame All of Fourth Wing Some light spoilers for Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson A large spoiler for the Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson (Danylo announces it’s a spoiler before it happens, when he does you can skip forward 30 sec

Heated Rivalry Jun 8, 2026 1:18:00 The perfect book for Pride Month and Stanley Cup month. Heated Rivalry By Rachel Reid Published in 2019. Spoilers Game Changer Heated Rivalry Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Tiktok if you’re into that sort of thing.

Game Changer (Heated Rivalry Book #1) May 25, 2026 1:13:44 Are they gay? Yes. Is that their only real character trait? Yes. Game Changer By Rachel Reid Published in 2019. Spoilers Game Changer Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Tiktok if you’re into that sort of thing.

Icebreaker May 11, 2026 1:50:40 Our very first proper modern romance novel. Is it more pornagraphy than romance though? Yes. Icebreaker By Hannah Grace Published in 2023, by Atria Books Spoilers Icebreaker Links: Summary of the whole book by Paisley Reads: https://paisleyreads.com/icebreaker-summary/ Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an ema

Gardens of the Moon: Prologue & Book 1 (Part 2 of 2) May 5, 2026 57:34 This is a cross-post from our brand-new second podcast, Malazan Maniacs. Our discussion of Book 1 of Gardens of the Moon continues. Reactor Re-Read of the Fallen articles for the sections in this episode: Gardens of the Moon, Prologue and Chapter 1: https://reactormag.com/the-malazan-re-read-of-the-fallen-gardens-of-the-moon-part-1/ Gardens of the Moon, Chapters 2 and 3: https://reacto

Gardens of the Moon: Prologue & Book 1 (Part 1) May 5, 2026 1:26:19 This is a cross-post from our brand-new second podcast, Malazan Maniacs. Everyone finds out what they’re in for. Links: Moon’s Spawn fan art: https://64.media.tumblr.com/1dad03e062782b9062193e75c93a047b/tumblr_myfm5g9pWH1t19zq1o1_1280.jpg Reactor Re-Read of the Fallen articles for the sections in this episode: Gardens of the Moon, Prologue and Chapter 1: https://reactormag.com/the-ma

Introducing Malazan Maniacs (Cross-post) May 5, 2026 1:10:51 That's right folks, we've got a new podcast. This time, we're sticking with one series: the Malazan Book of the Fallen. If you've never heard of it, it's a notoriously dense high fantasy series, but Mc and Danylo both love it. Their partners...well, we'll see. We're releasing our introduction podcast and the first proper episode here on our Hardcover Hooligans feed, but to get the res

Iron Flame - Part 3 Apr 20, 2026 1:39:55 Our eternal plod through this ‘sexy’ tome continues. Plus, a plot twist no one saw coming: maybe we want to keep reading? CW: There’s finally a sex scene in this book, so we talk about sexually explicit topics throughout and make sexual jokes. If this is not aligned with your sensibilities, best skip this one, old chap. Iron Flame By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Red Tower Book

The Man in the High Castle Mar 30, 2026 1:27:37 An alternate history where everyone makes decisions using an ancient Chinese fortune telling book instead of ChatGPT. CW: This is a book about the Nazis winning World War 2. So we talk about that sort of stuff. I’m sure you know the sort of stuff we’re talking about. The Man in the High Castle By Philip K. Dick Published in 1962, by Putnam Spoilers The Man in the High Castle Links:

Iron Flame - Part 2 Mar 16, 2026 1:21:58 “This is a book written by a maniac for lunatics.” - Mc CW: This is a sexy book, so we discuss sexual topics throughout. So don’t listen to this on speakerphone at a Wal-Mart. Or do, it would be good for our marketing maybe. Iron Flame By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books Spoilers The first 200 pages of Iron Flame All of Fourth Wing Links: Summary of the whole book

The Word for World Is Forest Mar 2, 2026 1:29:46 A book that has nothing at all to do with what’s happening in our world right now. Plus, we chat about current events in our city, which are, again, entirely unrelated to this book. Places to donate: Stand with MN: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/directory Monarca (legal aid): https://monarcamn.org/ Legal Aid for Ukrainian Refugees in Minneapolis: https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-ai

Iron Flame - Part 1 Feb 9, 2026 1:34:31 It’s the book after Fourth Wing! Fifth Wing! No wait, it’s Iron Flame. And current events might be affecting our experience of this book… Iron Flame By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Red Tower Books Spoilers The first third of Iron Flame All of Fourth Wing Links: Summary of the whole book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Flame Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, ple

Fourth Wing - Part 2 (Re-upload) Jan 28, 2026 1:16:01 We finally get to the NSFW parts of Fourth Wing! And also there is a sweet wizard fight. Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing Spoilers Fourth Wing (entire book) Thanks for Listening! If you liked the show, please leave us a review! And if you want to contact us, shoot us an email at hardcoverhooligans@gmail.com. And don’t forget to follow us on Ins

Fourth Wing - Part 1 (Re-upload) Jan 27, 2026 1:09:25 We tackle the booktok sensation "Fourth Wing" to find out just what all the hub-bub is about. Is it good? Bad? Sexy?? Maybe it could be all three. Note: this is a re-upload in anticipation of our upcoming episodes on 'Iron Flame' Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing Spoilers Fourth Wing (first half)

A Court of Mist and Fury - Part 2 Jan 19, 2026 1:17:32 While there are several climaxes in this book, the one that matters unfortunately made no sense. Note: due to the nature of fairy smut books, this episode contains discussions of sexual themes and situations. Use caution when playing out loud on the bus. A Court of Mist and Fury By Sarah J. Maas Published in 2016, by Bloombury Publishing. Spoilers All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses A

A Court of Mist and Fury - Part 1 Jan 6, 2026 1:19:21 Everyone's favorite fairy smut series is back! And this time with…less sex? And more PTSD?! Note: due to the nature of fairy smut books, this episode contains discussions of sexual themes and situations. Use caution when playing out loud on the bus. *Double note: * right at the top, Danylo mistaken describes the mode of fantasy communication that's used the Stormlight Archive, NOT the m

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Part 2 (Re-upload) Dec 30, 2025 1:24:02 Cauldron boil and fry me! It's part two of our discussion of the fairy smut phenomenon! And yes, Feyre's bowels are still watery! A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J. Maas Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing. Spoilers All of A Court Of Thorns and Roses Some series spoilers Links: Summary of the book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses/summary/ Thank

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Part 1 (Re-upload) Dec 29, 2025 1:26:40 In anticipation of the podcast's return to the world of Sarah J. Maas, here's our first episode on the romantasy phenomenon. A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J. Maas Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing. Spoilers A Court Of Thorns and Roses (the first half) Links: Summary of the book: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses/summary/ Thanks for Listening!

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Part 3 Dec 15, 2025 1:05:33 After 400 years, humanity has finally recovered all their technology…including nuclear bombs! Uh oh! A Canticle for Leibowitz By Walter M. Miller, Jr. Published in 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co. Links: A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller_Jr. Thanks for listening! If

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Part 2 Dec 1, 2025 1:00:16 We finally arrive at the first piece of true advanced technology in this novel: a lightbulb. A Canticle for Leibowitz By Walter M. Miller, Jr. Published in 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co. Links: A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz Walter M. Miller, Jr.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_M._Miller_Jr. The Story of Job: https://en.wik

A Canticle for Leibowitz - Part 1 Nov 17, 2025 1:24:36 No lasers, no spaceships, just a sci-fi novel about a monk who finds a grocery list. Featuring our first ever guest on the podcast! Sorry we mentioned the new pope so many times–it was really relevant back when we recorded this. A Canticle for Leibowitz By Walter M. Miller, Jr. Published in 1959 by J. B. Lippincott & Co. Links: A Canticle for Leibowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/w

Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius Sep 19, 2025 41:16 After an unintentional summer hiatus, we’re back with the third and final installment of our short series on Borges short stories. And oh no! It turns out a billionaire creating a fantasy planet with his friends can destroy the world. Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius By Jorge Luis Borges Published in 1940 by Sur. Links: Borges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges Tlön, Uqbar, O

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote Jun 2, 2025 51:43 If we claimed we wrote a Borges story and read it in its entirety at the end of our podcast, that would make the story infinitely richer. Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote By Jorge Luis Borges Published in 1939 by Editorial Sur. Spoilers Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote, by Jorge Luis Borges Links: Borges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges Pierre Menard, Author

The Library of Babel Apr 30, 2025 48:30 An infinite library implies the existence of infinite Mr. Beast video transcripts. The Library of Babel By Jorge Luis Borges Published in 1941 by Editorial Sur. Part of the story collection “The Garden of Forking Paths” Spoilers The Library of Babel, by Jorge Luis Borges Links: The Library of Babel exists! https://libraryofbabel.info/’ Borges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Lui

Carrie Apr 14, 2025 1:13:18 The moral of this story is to not bully the girl with latent psychic abilities. CW: discussions of violence, blood, domestic abuse, various sexual stuff, misogyny, religious abuse, and I’m sure other unpleasant things. Carrie By Stephen King Published in 1974 by Doubleday. Spoilers Carrie Links: Summary and info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(novel) Thanks for listening! If

Dungeon Crawler Carl Apr 1, 2025 59:24 I guess books are just video games now. This week we cover “Dungeon Crawler Carl”, the first book in the best-selling LitRPG series of the same name. Dungeon Crawler Carl By Matt Dinniman Self-published in 2020. Spoilers Dungeon Crawler Carl Links: Summary and info: https://dungeon-crawler-carl.fandom.com/wiki/Dungeon_Crawler_Carl_(Book) LitRPG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LitR

Watchmen Mar 17, 2025 1:14:07 That’s right, we read comic books now! Just kidding, it’s called a graphic novel. And this one’s about a bunch of superheroes who aren’t really that super and one blue guy who is TOO super. Get ready for morally grey characters, questionable motives, and a weird spooky pirate story. Watchmen By Alan Moore & David Ribbons Published in 1987 by DC Comics. Spoilers Watchmen Links:

The Way of Kings - Part 2 Mar 3, 2025 1:17:04 We finish The Way of Kings and are left with boredomspren floating around our computers. Plus, we read some one-star Goodreads reviews of The Way of Kings and do a quick overview of the other Stormlight Archive books. The Way of Kings By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2010 by Tor Books. Spoilers The Way of Kings Misc. spoilers for Words of Radiance, Oathbringer, and Rhythm of War (

The Way of Kings - Part 1 Feb 17, 2025 1:34:59 We embark on The Way of Kings, the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s magnum opus series, The Stormlight Archive. This book dares to explore such important questions as “what if someone who was good at fighting also had depression?” and “what if big swords but no blood?” Content warnings: discussion of depression, mentions of suicide The Way of Kings By Brandon Sanderson Published in

Assassin’s Quest - Part 3 Feb 3, 2025 49:00 Fitz’s story finds a poetic, complex, and bittersweet ending, but all we can talk about are Prince Verity’s cool silver arms. Which begs the question: did Robin Hobb want Prince Verity to eventually become this world’s Silver Surfer? As usual, we also read a bunch of one-star Goodreads reviews about the book. Plus, we announce what we’ll be tackling next on the Hardcover Hooligans pod

Assassin’s Quest - Part 2 Jan 21, 2025 45:45 Are chronic pain, sadness, social isolation, and the unbearable burden of duty worth it if it means you get abs? The Hardcover Hiatus is over, and the boys are back to talk about the final sections of Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy. Assassin’s Quest By Robin Hobb Published in 1997 by Voyageur Books. Spoilers Assassin’s Apprentice Royal Assassin Assassin’s Quest Links: Summary and in

An Announcement Nov 27, 2024 2:24 "Huh?! They're not dead?! And now they're trying to bait me into listening to this announcement by being intentionally omnious and vague?! What the hell?!" – All of you, right now A quick announcement by Danylo about the future of the podcast.

Assassin's Quest - Part 1 Oct 7, 2024 1:03:27 Our favorite teenage wolf assassin is back, but does this mean he stops getting shafted by everyone and everything in his life? No. But has he learned anything from what he's gone through? Also, no. Will he continue to make questionable decisions about his life? Yes. And we get to read about it. Content Warnings Mention of sexual assault Assassin’s Quest By Robin Hobb Book 3 of the Far

Royal Assassin - Part 2 Sep 23, 2024 1:22:40 We continue to read about the fraught life of a moody teen who is slowly turning into a crazy wolf man. Believe it or not, this causes problems in his personal life. Royal Assassin By Robin Hobb Book 2 of the Farseer Trilogy Published in 1996 by Spectra. Spoilers Assassin’s Apprentice Royal Assassin Links: Summary: https://robinhobbelderlings.fandom.com/wiki/Royal_Assassin Image of f

Royal Assassin - Part 1 Sep 9, 2024 1:08:57 In the previous book, Fitz bonds with a dog. In this book, he bonds with a wolf. What's the next step, the final evolution? What's the Blastoise of wolves? These questions not answered in the episode, but it's still a fun discussion of a great book. We're continuing with the second book in the Farseer Trilogy, Royal Assassin. And goddamit, it's even better than the first one. And we'

Assassin's Apprentice - Part 2 Aug 26, 2024 1:28:55 This book is unbelievably good. I love Fitz and Prince Verity and they are my real life best friends. What an incredibly breath of fresh air! The fellas finish Assassin's Apprentice and are left feeling... good? Excited for the future? Almost as if maybe they should just be reading stuff they like and not stuff that makes them want to give up their ability to read? Find out within... A

Assassin’s Apprentice - Part 1 Aug 12, 2024 1:12:37 The blurb on the back cover of this book makes it sound like it’s fantasy for babies, but it’s actually really really good. Assassin’s Apprentice By Robin Hobb Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy Published in 1995 by Spectra. Spoilers Assassin’s Apprentice Links Summary and info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Apprentice Chapter-by-chapter summary: https://www.tapatalk.com/grou

I Am Legend Jul 29, 2024 1:02:58 We dive into the mind of Robert Neville, a lonely, sexually repressed, alcoholic 1950s white man who staves off his horniness by blasting classical music and checking out books from the library. And yeah, he’s the last man in the world. And yeah, he’s killing LOTS of vampires. (Also did we mention he’s really horny?) I Am Legend By Richard Matheson Published in 1954 by Gold Medal Boo

The Three Body Problem - Part 2 Jul 15, 2024 47:44 Well, we did it. We solved the Three Body Problem. Maybe the real Trisolaran Empire was the friends we made along the way. Big sigh. The Three Body Problem By Cixin Liu Translated by Ken Liu First published in China as a serial in 2006, then as a standalone book in 2008. Published in 2014 in English by Tor Books. Spoilers The Three Body Problem (the whole book) Thanks for listenin

The Three Body Problem - Part 1 Jul 1, 2024 1:15:02 Danylo and Mc venture into the past, to then rocket into the future in The Three Body Problem! Things are not looking good for science, or anything else for that matter! What could it be?? Aliens?? Yup. The Three Body Problem By Cixin Liu Translated by Ken Liu First published in China as a serial in 2006, then as a standalone book in 2008. Published in 2014 in English by Tor Books.

Fourth Wing - Part 2 Jun 17, 2024 1:16:01 We finally get to the NSFW parts of Fourth Wing! And also there is a sweet wizard fight. Join us as Mc leads us through the joy of audiobook listening to great performers when the actual book probably actually sucks! Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing Spoilers Fourth Wing (second half) Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please leave us

Fourth Wing - Part 1 Jun 3, 2024 1:09:25 Oh boy here we go. A book that came out in the last five years?? What has this podcast become. This week Mc tackles the booktok sensation Fourth Wing to find just what all the hub bub is about. Is it good? Bad? Sexy?? Maybe it could be all three. Like Challengers! I guess you gotta listen to find out... Fourth Wing By Rebecca Yarros Published in 2023, by Entangled Publishing Spoiler

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Part 2 May 20, 2024 1:24:02 Cauldron boil and fry me! Danylo has finished A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), and he has some thoughts and feelings. Maybe, just maybe, the real ACOTAR was the friends we made along the way. A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J. Maas Published in 2015, by Bloombury Publishing Spoilers A Court of Thorns and Roses (entire book, and some for the rest of the series) Links Read AI

A Court Of Thorns and Roses - Part 1 May 6, 2024 1:26:40 WHY GOD WHY??? Danylo and Mc explore the #Booktok phenomenon 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', written by Sarah J. Mass. It's uh.... well it's certainly a novel! We are trying something new! In an unexpected twist, Mc hasn't read the book. Does he have the attention span to listen to Danylo talk about lore he doesn't care about? Find out within! A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J. Maas

The Silmarillion - Part 3 Apr 22, 2024 1:30:08 Danylo and Mc finally finish The Silmarillion, and with that all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most notable work. Turin Turumbar is the most depressing man of all time, Mîm sucks, and a hidden city becomes no longer hidden in dramatic fashion. The Silmarillion By J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien Published in 1977 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers: * The Silmarillion The Lord

The Silmarillion - Part 2 Apr 8, 2024 1:19:42 The tragic saga of the Silmarils continues with Sauron doing a Battle of the Bands, a talking dog, and the coolest heist ever. The Silmarillion By J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien Published in 1977 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers: * The Silmarillion The Lord of Rings The Hobbit Links: Chapter summaries: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/silmsumm

Dune Part 2 Movie vs. Book Mar 25, 2024 1:05:29 Danylo and Mc have a timely discussion on a movie that came out like a month ago. They discuss the differences between Frank Herbert’s novel Dune (1965), and the recent film Dune Part 2 (2024) by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet and a very bald and very white Austin Butler. Does Space Elvis love knife fights? Yes, yes he does. Dune By Frank Herbert Published in 1965 by Chilt

The Silmarillion - Part 1 Mar 11, 2024 1:10:32 If you thought fantasy couldn’t get nerdier than the appendices of Lord of the Rings, let us introduce you to The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien, the "prequel" to Lord of the Rings. It is very cool. And beautiful. And also boring sometimes. Is it for everyone? No. Is it for anyone? Well… The Silmarillion By J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien Published in 1955 by George Allen

The Lord of the Rings - Appendices Feb 26, 2024 1:07:30 That’s right, the appendices of The Lord of the Rings have so much frickin’ nerd stuff we need a whole separate episode. We’ve got some great stories like Helm Hammerhand beating everyone up, Aragorn’s dating history, and Sam getting elected mayor of the Shire every year until he dies. The Return of the King By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers:

The Return of the King - Part 2 Feb 12, 2024 1:35:51 Danylo and Mc read and discuss the finale of Lord of the Rings. There's like twelve different endings, including Sharkey and the infamous Scouring of the Shire. The Return of the King By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers: * Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly) The Hobbit Links: Summary of the w

The Return of the King - Part 1 Jan 29, 2024 1:40:40 Mc and Danylo read Book 5 (a.k.a. the first half) of The Return of the King. Battles with orcs, battles with pirates, and battles with despair! Plus, Mc shares an internet book culture pet peeve. The Return of the King By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1955 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers: * Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly)

The Two Towers - Part 2 Jan 15, 2024 1:15:57 Our heroes get ever closer to Mordor, where it’s dangerous to look at the evil stuff for too long. Danylo definitely thought this part was going to be boring (it was not), and Mc gets confused about the layout of a cave. But in all sincerity, the main take is that these books definitely don’t get enough credit for their subtlety and nuance. It’s just good. The Two Towers By J.R.R. Tolki

The Two Towers - Part 1 Jan 1, 2024 1:09:44 Danylo and Mc chug some ent-draughts and discuss the first half of The Two Towers. Dwarves love running actually, Wormtongue is the alt-right pipeline, and waving around a sword cures depression. We also meet the second and final woman in these books! Wow! The Two Towers By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers: * Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we t

The Fellowship of the Ring - Part 2 Dec 18, 2023 1:30:47 Danylo and Mc read the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring, during which they try to answer the question “what if Frodo was wearing armor made of Bitcoin?” The Fellowship of the Ring By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1954 by George Allen & Unwin. *Spoilers: * Most of all of The Lord of Rings (we talk about what happens in all the movies constantly) The Hobbit Links: Summary of

The Fellowship of the Ring - Part 1 Dec 4, 2023 1:27:16 Danylo and Mc throw a long-expected party by reading the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (we know it’s not technically a trilogy, it’s one whole story, but who cares). Danylo constantly compares the book to the movies (sorry), and Mc revisits one of his favorite books. They both have a crush on Aragorn. The Fellowship of the Ring By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1954 by Georg

The Hobbit Nov 20, 2023 1:28:01 **ATTENTION! **Mc misspoke about Tolkien rewriting a bit of the Hobbit regarding the dwarves. He was conflating the Riddles in the Dark rewrite with the letter Tolkien sent the publisher. Sorry!!!!! Neither of us will EVER misspeak again. Mc and Danylo read a classic in the fantasy genre, which is also a classic in the “cheating at riddle games to get over-powered jewelry” genre. The H

Dune Messiah Nov 6, 2023 1:05:12 After the baffling conclusion of Dune, Danylo and Mc read the sequel, Dune Messiah. We get the satisfying conclusion of the epic story of Paul Muad’Dib Atreides, as well as a bunch of weird 1960s sci-fi pervert stuff. Dune Messiah By Frank Herbert Published in 1969 by Putnam Publishing. *Spoilers: * All of Dune All of Dune Messiah Links: Summary of the whole book (the wikipedia page

Dune - Part 2 Oct 23, 2023 1:15:31 The sweeping, epic adventure story of Paul “Muad’Dib” Atreides just suddenly kinda…ends. And he wins. And beats everyone. And becomes emperor. Okay. Danylo and Mc talk about Dune’s legacy, lasting impact, and how Frank Herbert doesn’t know what women talk about when there are no men around. Dune By Frank Herbert Published in 1965 by Chilton Books. *Spoilers: * All of Dune Links: Summa

Dune - Part 1 Oct 9, 2023 1:19:21 Kwisatz Haderach. Bene Gesserit. Fremen. Melange. Muad’Dib. The C.H.O.A.M. Company. What do these goofy words even mean? Find out on this week’s episode. Hint: they’re all things in the novel Dune, by Frank Herbert. Dune By Frank Herbert Published in 1965 by Chilton Books. *Spoilers: * The first half of Dune (up to Book II, Third Section) Links: Summary of the whole book Bene G

The Dispossessed - Part 2 Sep 25, 2023 1:14:20 We return to the twin moons of Urras and Anarres to see if capitalism and ownership have poisoned our interpersonal and societal relationships (spoiler alert: yes). But there’s still kind of a happy ending??? Based. 10/10. Content Warning: Discussion of sexual assault The Dispossessed By Ursula K. Le Guin Published in 1974 by Harper and Row. Winner of the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award

The Dispossessed - Part 1 Sep 11, 2023 1:20:49 If you want to have constant thoughts about the horrors of our capitalist and governmental systems, then this book is for you. And if you already do that, well…here’s more of that. Danylo and Mc read Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic sci-fi book, The Dispossessed, and have to resist the urge to tell everyone they know that money, laws, and owning things is fake actually. The Dispossessed By U

Mistborn: The Hero of Ages - Part 2 Aug 28, 2023 1:51:37 Danylo and Mc finally finish the Mistborn Trilogy and crawl out from under the debris of the Sanderlanche™. They give their thoughts on the book and the trilogy as a whole and, oh boy, do they have a lot of thoughts. They also “read” the novella Mistborn: A Secret History as a special “treat”. The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2008 by Tor Books

Mistborn: The Hero of Ages - Part 1 Aug 14, 2023 1:44:40 Danylo and Mc are almost at the end of a fantasy trilogy and still nothing important is happening. Your Favorite Mistborn Characters™ do nothing but walk from place to place, gather information, and sit around. Isn’t the world supposed to be ending? The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2008 by Tor Books. *Spoilers: * Parts 1-3 of The Hero of Ages A

Mistborn: The Well of Ascension - Part 2 Jul 31, 2023 1:56:45 Danylo and Mc lose their minds a little bit in this episode. They vent about how insane Brandon Sanderson’s writing choices are, and how his Mormonism seems to seep into every aspect of his writing. We’re sorry it’s so long. We hope it makes sense. The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2007 by Tor Books. *Spoilers: * All of The Well of Ascensi

Mistborn: The Well of Ascension - Part 1 Jul 17, 2023 1:55:55 Mc and Danylo start the second book in the Mistborn Trilogy. They finally feel like they’re reading a real book, except for the part when our hero inexplicably punches a dog in the head. And then it starts unraveling from there… The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2007 by Tor Books. *Spoilers: * Parts 1-3 of The Well of Ascension All of Mistbor

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Part 3 Jul 3, 2023 1:29:54 Danylo and Mc finish their read-through of Mistborn. They discuss its flaws, its weirdness, and what, if anything, this book is actually about. Hint: it’s not just cool metal magic. Mistborn: The Final Empire By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2006 by Tor Books. *Spoilers: * All of Mistborn: The Final Empire Links: Chapter-By-Chapter Summary of the whole book: https://coppermind.net/w

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Part 2 Jul 3, 2023 1:45:27 Danylo and Mc continue their read-through of Mistborn. Mc finds most of the characters grating. Danylo starts to regret the decision to re-read a book he initially liked. They both ponder why people love this book so much. Mistborn: The Final Empire By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2006 by Tor Books. *Spoilers: * Beginning through Part 3 of Mistborn: The Final Empire Links: Chapter-

Mistborn: The Final Empire - Part 1 Jul 3, 2023 1:18:47 In our debut episode, we read a book that’s consistently recommended on the internet for anyone starting in the fantasy genre. Does Mistborn live up to the hype? Is it actually a good intro to fantasy? Mistborn: The Final Empire By Brandon Sanderson Published in 2006 by Tor Books. Spoilers: Beginning through Part 2 of Mistborn: The Final Empire Links: Chapter-By-Chapter Summary of th

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